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Deakin researchers surpass silkworm silk by taking a holistic approach	© Freyla Ferguson / Deakin University
17.04.2025

Deakin researchers surpass silkworm silk by taking a holistic approach

Dr Ben Allardyce and PhD candidate Mr Martin Zaki from Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials’ (IFM) have delivered a world first in next generation materials research.

Silkworm silk is a protein-based fibre with mechanical properties rivalling petroleum-derived synthetic fibres yet spun using a fraction of the energy. Despite decades of research, aspects of natural silkworm spinning remain a mystery.

Dr Ben Allardyce and PhD candidate Mr Martin Zaki from Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials’ (IFM) have delivered a world first in next generation materials research.

Silkworm silk is a protein-based fibre with mechanical properties rivalling petroleum-derived synthetic fibres yet spun using a fraction of the energy. Despite decades of research, aspects of natural silkworm spinning remain a mystery.

The IFM discovery takes researchers one step closer to solving this mystery by wet spinning a new class of silk that produces fibres that outperform natural silk.
 
A materials breakthrough

This research, led by Dr Allardyce and Mr Zaki, with expert input from Sheffield University's Professor Chris Holland, involves sidestepping degumming - a commonplace industrial process - and experimenting with dissolving whole silk fibres.
Using this new technique, the team were able to produce a spinnable solution that better imitates silk as it is produced by the silkworm. This solution was wet spun using IFM’s state-of-the art pilot fibre and textile facility to produce fibres that more closely matched natural silk.

According to IFM’s Deputy Director Joe Razal, the team’s discovery is a world first and demonstrates how IFM researchers are creating new sustainable materials that have real-world application and impact.

‘Ben and Martin challenged the norm by creating silk fibres in a laboratory setting,’ Professor Razal said.

‘They wet spun a cocktail of solubilised, non-separated silk components that mimic the properties produced in nature.’

‘The team identified a way to recreate the fibre produced by the silkworm and unlock the potential for it to be just as biodegradable, tough and energy efficient. In fact, when spun under identical conditions, undegummed solutions produces fibres 8 times stronger and 218 times tougher than degummed silk feedstocks.’

Undegummed versus degummed silk
‘Traditionally, industry has used degumming to unravel the silkworms cocoon to produce their fibres. It is also commonly used by researchers to facilitate “unspinning” silk back into a solution that can then be solidified into new forms,’ Professor Holland said.
’However removing a key component to the natural material, the sericin gum coating, often comes with collateral damage to the silk proteins and so it’s often considered a necessary evil.’

Mr Zaki explains that the team wanted to produce better materials while simultaneously understanding how.

‘We took a step back and asked why has no one attempted this? Is it because it is too hard, or because everyone degums silk and no one has considered doing something different?

In industry, the largest portion of water waste, labour, and energy consumption usually comes from the degumming process. By-passing this step, we increase the potential of a more sustainable technology.’

‘Undegummed cocoons are normally insoluble,’ adds Dr Allardyce. ‘Our innovative process combines a milling step followed by a supersaturated solvent that enables dissolution.’

‘No-one has attempted to artificially spin undegummed silk before. And no-one has ever successfully dissolved undegummed cocoons and re-spun them in this way.’
 
Future applications
Degummed silk is used in nerve repair, coating foods to improve shelf-life and biodegradable batteries.

This ground-breaking research forges a new pathway to recreate a fibre with structures akin to native silk.

Dr Allardyce maintains that it’s also an innovation that could apply to other next generation fibres.

‘If the knowledge could be applied to other biopolymers - other proteins, cellulosic fibres - we could potentially produce new fibres that have a fraction of the energy input to synthetics but perform just as well while retaining the advantage of biodegradability.’

Source:

Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials’ (IFM)

Foto: Rice University
08.04.2025

Revolutionizing touch

From virtual reality to rehabilitation and communication, haptic technology has revolutionized the way humans interact with the digital world. While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that integrate various forms of touch-based feedback, including vibration, skin stretch, pressure and temperature.
 
Recently, a team of experts, including Rice University’s Marcia O’Malley and Daniel Preston, graduate student Joshua Fleck, alumni Zane Zook ’23 and Janelle Clark ’22 and other collaborators, published an in-depth review in Nature Reviews Bioengineering analyzing the current state of wearable multisensory haptic technology, outlining its challenges, advancements and real-world applications.

From virtual reality to rehabilitation and communication, haptic technology has revolutionized the way humans interact with the digital world. While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that integrate various forms of touch-based feedback, including vibration, skin stretch, pressure and temperature.
 
Recently, a team of experts, including Rice University’s Marcia O’Malley and Daniel Preston, graduate student Joshua Fleck, alumni Zane Zook ’23 and Janelle Clark ’22 and other collaborators, published an in-depth review in Nature Reviews Bioengineering analyzing the current state of wearable multisensory haptic technology, outlining its challenges, advancements and real-world applications.
Haptic devices, which enable communication through touch, have evolved significantly since their introduction in the 1960s. Initially, they relied on rigid, grounded mechanisms acting as user interfaces, generating force-based feedback from virtual environments. But with advancements in sensing and actuation technology, haptic devices have become increasingly wearable. Today’s innovations focus on cutaneous feedback — stimulating the skin’s receptors to provide realistic touch sensations — rather than kinesthetic feedback, which mimics force exerted on the musculoskeletal system.
 
“Wearable haptic devices are now integrated into consumer products such as smartwatches and gaming accessories, and they are serving more complex roles in health care, robotics and immersive media,” said O’Malley, the Thomas Michael Panos Family Professor in Engineering and professor and chair of mechanical engineering. “A new shift toward multisensory haptic feedback, which means delivering more than one type of touch stimulus simultaneously, is enhancing user experience, but it presents new engineering and perceptual challenges. As this technology continues to evolve, we will see it move to a richer, multisensory experience — one that bridges the gap between digital interaction and human touch.”

Designing effective, wearable multisensory haptic devices requires a deep understanding of human touch perception, and the research team identified several key challenges in the field today. One of the most significant hurdles is the variability in skin contact mechanics as differences in skin elasticity, receptor distribution and external factors like humidity can alter how haptic stimuli are perceived. Another issue is tactile masking, where multiple haptic sensations such as vibration and skin stretch can interfere with one another, reducing perceptual clarity.

“Every person’s skin responds differently to stimuli due to variations in elasticity, moisture and even body hair,” said Preston, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “This variability makes designing universally effective devices incredibly complex.”
In addition, wearability and comfort continue to be major considerations in every product. Haptic devices must be designed to fit different body locations without causing discomfort, restricting movement or disrupting daily activities. Factors such as weight, size and attachment methods all play a crucial role in ensuring long-term usability.

“True immersion in haptic technology depends not just on what users feel but on how naturally and comfortably they experience it,” Preston said.

In addition to highlighting challenges, the authors identified several emerging actuation methods that could redefine wearable haptic technology.

Electromechanical actuation, commonly used in vibrational feedback systems, remains the most widely adopted method due to its reliability and affordability. However, it often struggles to provide a diverse range of haptic cues. Polymeric actuation, which relies on smart polymers that change shape or texture when exposed to stimuli, offers a lightweight and flexible alternative for delivering haptic feedback. Fluidic actuation, which utilizes pressurized air or liquid to generate dynamic tactile sensations, is gaining traction in soft robotics and textile-based haptic wearables, offering new possibilities for comfort and adaptability. Additionally, thermal actuation is emerging as a way to enhance immersion in virtual environments or simulate real-world interactions through warming or cooling sensations.

“We expect these technologies to significantly expand the scope of haptic feedback, particularly in fields such as medical rehabilitation, prosthetic development and human-machine interaction,” O’Malley said. “Although promising, further refinement is needed to improve response time, durability and energy efficiency.”

The review also offers insight into how wearable haptic technology is poised to unlock new possibilities in human interaction with digital and physical environments. In virtual and augmented reality, multisensory haptics enhance immersion by allowing users to feel digital objects, improving experiences in gaming, training simulations and education. In health care and rehabilitation, wearable haptics assist in motor skill training, post-stroke rehabilitation and prosthetic limb feedback, enabling patients to interact more effectively with their surroundings. Assistive technology and communication applications leverage tactile interfaces to help individuals with vision or hearing impairments by translating auditory or visual information into touch-based signals. Navigation and guidance systems benefit from haptic wearables by providing intuitive directional cues, aiding visually impaired individuals and improving hands-free navigation in fields such as military and aviation. Additionally, teleoperation and robotics stand to gain significantly as remote-controlled robotic systems with haptic feedback allow users to “feel” objects from a distance, improving precision in delicate tasks like robotic surgery.

Despite significant progress, the authors emphasized the need for further exploration in multisensory haptic perception. Understanding how the brain processes simultaneous haptic cues will be crucial in refining future devices, and ensuring widespread adoption will require a balance between technological sophistication, user comfort and practical usability.

“The ultimate goal is to create haptic devices that feel as natural as real-world touch,” O’Malley said.

More information:
haptic wearables Rice University
Source:

Rice University, Alexandra Becker, Media Relations Specialist

The developed textile mitigates health risks from prolonged extreme cold exposure, including hemoconcentration-based arterial blood clotting, breathing issues, and weakened immunity. Photo: IIT Guwahati
02.04.2025

Self-Cleaning, Flexible Heating Fabric for Cold Climates

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati researchers have developed a water-repellent, conductive textile that converts electricity and sunlight into heat. Designed to keep wearers warm in cold environments, this innovation addresses the serious health risks posed by prolonged exposure to very low temperatures, including hemoconcentration-based arterial blood clotting, breathing difficulties, and weakened immunity.
 
The findings of this research have been published in the journal, Nano-Micro-Small, in a paper co-authored by Prof. Uttam Manna, Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, along with his research team, Ms. Debasmita Sarkar, Mr. Haydar Ali, Mr. Rajan Singh, Mr. Anirban Phukan, Mr. Chittaranjan Mishra, and Prof. Roy P. Paily from Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati.

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati researchers have developed a water-repellent, conductive textile that converts electricity and sunlight into heat. Designed to keep wearers warm in cold environments, this innovation addresses the serious health risks posed by prolonged exposure to very low temperatures, including hemoconcentration-based arterial blood clotting, breathing difficulties, and weakened immunity.
 
The findings of this research have been published in the journal, Nano-Micro-Small, in a paper co-authored by Prof. Uttam Manna, Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, along with his research team, Ms. Debasmita Sarkar, Mr. Haydar Ali, Mr. Rajan Singh, Mr. Anirban Phukan, Mr. Chittaranjan Mishra, and Prof. Roy P. Paily from Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati.

Extreme cold temperatures can lead to health problems that can even be fatal. Studies indicate that deaths due to extreme cold outnumber those caused by extreme heat. Traditional solutions protect oneself from extreme cold, such as heaters or layered clothing are often bulky or require a constant power source. Conductive textiles offer a lightweight, flexible alternative, but existing versions often have limitations, such as poor durability, high power consumption, and vulnerability to water exposure.

To overcome these challenges, IIT Guwahati research team developed a novel approach by sprayed ultra-thin and clean silver nanowires onto cotton fabric to make it conductive. These nanowires are 100,000 times thinner than a human hair, allowing electricity to flow through the fabric, helping it generate heat while remaining soft and flexible. Due to its exceptional electrical conductivity and the ability to convert both electricity and sunlight into heat, silver nanowires were chosen for this experiment. The low electrical resistance of silver allows the electrothermal conversion at low applied voltage and eliminating the risk of electrocution.

One limitation with silver nanowires is that it can tarnish over time, affecting performance. To address this, researchers applied a water-repellent coating to the silver nanowires that protects against oxidation, water, and stains. The coating, inspired by lotus leaves, has a microscopic rough surface texture, which causes water to roll off instead of soaking in. This keeps the textile dry, ensuring long-lasting conductivity and effective heating, even in damp conditions. The water-repellent coating also prevents damage from sweat, rain, or accidental spills, making it reliable for outdoor and everyday applications.

The textile can convert electricity using a small rechargeable battery or solar energy into heat and can maintain a desired temperature between 40°C and 60°C for over 10 hours.

The researchers tested the textile in wearable knee and elbow bands, demonstrating its potential to provide sustained warmth for individuals working in cold environments and arthritis patients needing localized heat therapy. Additionally, the textile has broader applications, such as on-demand water heating and accelerating chemical reactions by wrapping it around the reaction vessels.

Speaking about the developed textile, Prof. Uttam Manna, said, “Our textile is self-cleanable, breathable, and flexible and can easily be scaled up. Its durability and long-lasting performance make it useful in a range of applications that require controlled heating."
The research team has filed an Indian patent on the innovation and is now working towards integrating the developed material with a miniaturised and appropriate electronic circuit to create viable products. Additionally, the team is seeking industry collaborations to bring the innovation to market for potential dry thermos-therapy applications in the near future.

Source:

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Lincoln Laboratory staff member Steve Gillmer tests the elasticity of a bioabsorbable fabric in order to compare its stiffness to different types of human tissue. Photo: Glen Cooper/Lincoln Laboratory
24.03.2025

Knitted microtissue can accelerate healing

Lincoln Laboratory and MIT researchers are creating new types of bioabsorbable fabrics that mimic the unique way soft tissues stretch while nurturing growing cells.

Treating severe or chronic injury to soft tissues such as skin and muscle is a challenge in health care. Current treatment methods can be costly and ineffective, and the frequency of chronic wounds in general from conditions such as diabetes and vascular disease, as well as an increasingly aging population, is only expected to rise.

Lincoln Laboratory and MIT researchers are creating new types of bioabsorbable fabrics that mimic the unique way soft tissues stretch while nurturing growing cells.

Treating severe or chronic injury to soft tissues such as skin and muscle is a challenge in health care. Current treatment methods can be costly and ineffective, and the frequency of chronic wounds in general from conditions such as diabetes and vascular disease, as well as an increasingly aging population, is only expected to rise.

One promising treatment method involves implanting biocompatible materials seeded with living cells (i.e., microtissue) into the wound. The materials provide a scaffolding for stem cells, or other precursor cells, to grow into the wounded tissue and aid in repair. However, current techniques to construct these scaffolding materials suffer a recurring setback. Human tissue moves and flexes in a unique way that traditional soft materials struggle to replicate, and if the scaffolds stretch, they can also stretch the embedded cells, often causing those cells to die. The dead cells hinder the healing process and can also trigger an inadvertent immune response in the body.

"The human body has this hierarchical structure that actually un-crimps or unfolds, rather than stretches," says Steve Gillmer, a researcher in MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Mechanical Engineering Group. "That's why if you stretch your own skin or muscles, your cells aren't dying. What's actually happening is your tissues are uncrimping a little bit before they stretch."

Gillmer is part of a multidisciplinary research team that is searching for a solution to this stretching setback. He is working with Professor Ming Guo from MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering and the laboratory's Defense Fabric Discovery Center (DFDC) to knit new kinds of fabrics that can uncrimp and move just as human tissue does.
The idea for the collaboration came while Gillmer and Guo were teaching a course at MIT. Guo had been researching how to grow stem cells on new forms of materials that could mimic the uncrimping of natural tissue. He chose electrospun nanofibers, which worked well, but were difficult to fabricate at long lengths, preventing him from integrating the fibers into larger knit structures for larger-scale tissue repair.

"Steve mentioned that Lincoln Laboratory had access to industrial knitting machines," Guo says. These machines allowed him to switch focus to designing larger knits, rather than individual yarns. "We immediately started to test new ideas through internal support from the laboratory."

Gillmer and Guo worked with the DFDC to discover which knit patterns could move similarly to different types of soft tissue. They started with three basic knit constructions called interlock, rib, and jersey.

"For jersey, think of your T-shirt. When you stretch your shirt, the yarn loops are doing the stretching," says Emily Holtzman, a textile specialist at the DFDC. "The longer the loop length, the more stretch your fabric can accommodate. For ribbed, think of the cuff on your sweater. This fabric construction has a global stretch that allows the fabric to unfold like an accordion."

Interlock is similar to ribbed but is knitted in a denser pattern and contains twice as much yarn per inch of fabric. By having more yarn, there is more surface area on which to embed the cells. "Knit fabrics can also be designed to have specific porosities, or hydraulic permeability, created by the loops of the fabric and yarn sizes," says Erin Doran, another textile specialist on the team. "These pores can help with the healing process as well."

So far, the team has conducted a number of tests embedding mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and mesenchymal stem cells within the different knit patterns and seeing how they behave when the patterns are stretched. Each pattern had variations that affected how much the fabric could uncrimp, in addition to how stiff it became after it started stretching. All showed a high rate of cell survival, and in 2024 the team received an R&D 100 award for their knit designs.

Gillmer explains that although the project began with treating skin and muscle injuries in mind, their fabrics have the potential to mimic many different types of human soft tissue, such as cartilage or fat. The team recently filed a provisional patent that outlines how to create these patterns and identifies the appropriate materials that should be used to make the yarn. This information can be used as a toolbox to tune different knitted structures to match the mechanical properties of the injured tissue to which they are applied.

"This project has definitely been a learning experience for me," Gillmer says. "Each branch of this team has a unique expertise, and I think the project would be impossible without them all working together. Our collaboration as a whole enables us to expand the scope of the work to solve these larger, more complex problems."

Source:

Anne McGovern | Lincoln Laboratory

Image Felix, Pixabay
18.03.2025

Composites Germany - Results of the 24th Market Survey

For the 24th time, Composites Germany has collected current key figures on the market for fiber-reinforced plastics. All member companies of the supporting associations of Composites Germany: AVK and Composites United as well as the associated partner VDMA were surveyed.

In order to ensure that the different surveys can be compared without any problems, no fundamental changes were made to the survey this half-year. Once again, mainly qualitative data relating to current and future market developments was collected.

The current survey did not reveal any improvement in sentiment regarding the general business situation.

For the 24th time, Composites Germany has collected current key figures on the market for fiber-reinforced plastics. All member companies of the supporting associations of Composites Germany: AVK and Composites United as well as the associated partner VDMA were surveyed.

In order to ensure that the different surveys can be compared without any problems, no fundamental changes were made to the survey this half-year. Once again, mainly qualitative data relating to current and future market developments was collected.

The current survey did not reveal any improvement in sentiment regarding the general business situation.

Increasingly critical assessment of the current business situation
Apart from a few positive trends, the corresponding indicator has been pointing clearly downwards since 2022. There is still no sign of a trend reversal in the current survey either. (see Fig. 1). The assessment of the general business situation has fallen significantly in all regions mentioned.     

The reasons for the negative sentiment are varied and, in many cases, remain unchanged. High energy costs, raw material prices and logistics costs remain a major burden, particularly for German industry, but also for many other countries in Europe. In addition, the overall economy is weakening, especially in Europe and Germany. The key application areas for the composites industry - transportation/automotive and construction/infrastructure - are particularly affected by this.

In addition, many national economies are experiencing increasingly weak exports, particularly with regard to the Asian and especially Chinese markets. In terms of raw materials and finished products, for example in the automotive production sector, competition with European products is growing on a massive scale. This is partly due to overcapacities, but also to government subsidies, which in turn places an enormous price burden on suppliers. Political uncertainties, protectionist tendencies and armed conflicts are further worsening the economic climate.
           
The fact that politicians do not currently seem to be succeeding in creating an environment that is conducive to business remains a problem. Added to this is the lack of responses from European/German manufacturers. The composites market has already seen sharp declines in the last two years. There are still pessimistic signals from the industry for the current year. For the third year in a row, the European production volume is falling in contrast to a growing global market. The European composites industry is facing a progressive decline if it fails in creating a regulatory framework that enables competitive production. Germany is currently facing structural changes that are necessary, particularly in terms of economic policy and ecology. These necessary adjustments will take many years and require high levels of investment. It is urgently advisable to finally find a balance between the necessary burden on industry/companies and private households and the corresponding relief.

Future expectations show different trends
In line with the current negative mood in the industry, it is not only the assessment of the current general business situation that remains pessimistic; the future general market situation is also viewed extremely critically by those surveyed.

Only 19 % of respondents currently expect the global situation to improve. For Germany and Europe, the figure is only just over 10 %. The figure for Europe in particular has plummeted compared to the last survey.

This contrasts with a rather positive assessment of the company's own business situation. Here, the negative trend of the last two years for the global and European assessment of the company's own position has been halted. In the current survey, the indicators are turning positive.Only for Germany does the assessment remain critical. Only around 1/3 of respondents rate their own current situation positively. This also applies to future expectations. 28 % of those surveyed expect the general market situation in Germany to develop negatively. Only 21 % expect the current situation to improve.

The figures for Europe and the rest of the world are significantly better. Only 7 % expect the global situation to deteriorate further. The figure for Europe is 11 %.
      
Investment climate remains subdued
The current cautious assessment of the economic situation continues to have an impact on the investment climate. However, the first positive signs are also emerging here.          

While 13 % of respondents in the last survey still expected an increase in personnel capacity (survey 2/2024), this figure currently stands at 19 %. In contrast, however, 29 % still expect a decrease in personnel.

The proportion of respondents planning to invest in machinery continues to fall slightly. While 44 % were still assuming corresponding investments in the last survey, this figure has now fallen to 42 %.

Different expectations of application industries
The composites market is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in terms of both materials and applications. In the survey, the participants were asked to give their assessment of the market development of different core areas. The expectations are extremely varied.

The most important area of application for Composites is mobility. This area is currently undergoing major upheaval and is experiencing a massive crisis in Europe and Germany. This is also clearly reflected in the survey. Growth is expected above all in the aviation and construction/infrastructure sectors, although the construction sector in Germany is also in recession.

Growth drivers with slight movements
The current survey shows slight movement in terms of growth impetus. In terms of their assessment of which areas will provide the key growth impetus for the composites industry in the future, GFRP saw a slight increase. CFRP, on the other hand, declined slightly.

There is a slight regional shift. The main growth impetus is expected to come from Asia and North America, with Asia's mentions declining slightly and North America increasing slightly. However, the EU (with the exception of Germany) is also frequently cited as a growth region. Germany continues to be seen less strongly as a growth driver and remains at a low level.

Composites index divergent
As already indicated in the current text, the Composites Index points in different directions. While the assessment of the company's own business situation is turning positive, the assessment of the general business situation remains pessimistic.
      
In the last three years, the European composites market has lost almost 20 % of its production volume and has fallen back to the 2010/2011 level.

Almost all sectors are equally affected by declines. Until the coronavirus pandemic, there was a continuous increase in production volumes for many years. Since the end of the coronavirus crisis and with the increase in macroeconomic uncertainties, Europe and Germany in particular appear to be becoming less attractive as a business location. Europe's market share is now steadily declining despite an increase in global production volumes. There are many reasons for this, and there are no simple solutions. However, if the industrial location is to remain secure, something has to change quickly. Once companies have moved away, it is difficult to bring them back. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to counteract this negative trend. Targeted intervention, including by political decision-makers, would be desirable here. However, this cannot succeed without industry/business. Only together will it be possible to maintain and strengthen Germany as a business/industry location. For composites as a material group in general, there are still very good opportunities to expand the market position in both new and existing markets due to the special portfolio of properties. However, the dependence on macroeconomic developments remains.

It is now important to develop new market areas through innovation, to consistently exploit opportunities and to work together to further implement composites in existing markets. This can often be achieved better together than alone. With its excellent network, Composites Germany offers a wide range of opportunities.

The next composites market survey will be published in August 2025.

Source:

Composites Germany

wind energy Image BulentYILDIZ, Pixabay
11.03.2025

Revolutionising the Carbon Fibre Industry

A research team at University of Limerick has developed a groundbreaking new method of producing carbon fibre while drastically reducing its energy footprint.

Researchers at UL are leading a project that has developed a new method of producing carbon fibre, a high-cost light weight material used in sectors such as aerospace, wind energy, construction, and transportation.

The CARBOWAVE project uses an innovative plasma and microwave heating method to make carbon fibre, replacing the conventional heating processes and significantly reducing energy consumption by as much as 70% while maintaining the materials performance.

The reduction in the energy required to produce the material will make the process greener and less expensive.

A research team at University of Limerick has developed a groundbreaking new method of producing carbon fibre while drastically reducing its energy footprint.

Researchers at UL are leading a project that has developed a new method of producing carbon fibre, a high-cost light weight material used in sectors such as aerospace, wind energy, construction, and transportation.

The CARBOWAVE project uses an innovative plasma and microwave heating method to make carbon fibre, replacing the conventional heating processes and significantly reducing energy consumption by as much as 70% while maintaining the materials performance.

The reduction in the energy required to produce the material will make the process greener and less expensive.

The ambitious new project, coordinated by UL’s Professor Maurice N Collins and Dr Anne Beaucamp McLoughlin, is set to transform the energy intensive carbon fibre industry by deploying cutting-edge alternative heating technologies.

The first results were published in the Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials Journal, the advancement will help to address environmental challenges like energy consumption and emissions while also contributing to sustainable industrial growth.

The advancements developed by the research team will enable a more efficient conversion of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a key component in carbon fibre production, which needs a vast amount of energy to be converted into carbon fibres and is a strategic material vital for Europe’s future energy security.

The CARBOWAVE team will use susceptor-induced microwave heating utilising self-assembled nanostructures technology, initially developed by researchers at University of Limerick and University of Valencia, to convert PAN into carbon fibre. This will allow it to be heated quicker making the production process more efficient.

Remarkably, during their research, the UL team discovered that carbon fibre can be produced in an inexpensive domestic microwave and exhibit mechanical performance equivalent to that produced using conventional heating.

Professor Maurice Collins, principal investigator on the project and Professor of Materials Science in UL’s School of Engineering, explained: “Europe’s reliance on energy-intensive processes has long been a barrier to achieving sustainability. CARBOWAVE addresses this challenge and is an exciting project which offers the potential to produce more sustainable and cheaper carbon fibre.

“The long-term implications are enormous as it could allow the deployment of carbon fibre in all sorts of applications where high strength and stiffness is needed from construction, transportation, hydrogen storage to wind energy and beyond.”

Co-principal investigator Dr Anne Beaucamp McLoughlin, Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at UL, explained that the project “aims to revolutionise the carbon fibre industry by significantly reducing the energy consumption and the cost of the carbon conversion process without losing their mechanical properties.

“This project will allow for carbon fibres production to be more energy efficient, faster and cheaper, and to reduce significantly their environmental footprint.”

Carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs), derived from carbon fibre, are crucial in sectors like wind energy, construction, and transportation. The light weighting capabilities of CFRPs enhance wind turbine efficiency, support decarbonisation in construction, and improve fuel efficiency in transport, particularly electric vehicles.

However, current carbon fibre production is highly energy-intensive and relies heavily on electricity and natural gas.

CARBOWAVE’s solutions aim to reduce this energy use by over 70% while maintaining material performance. Europe’s advanced carbon materials market, which dominates 37% of the global market, will directly benefit from this groundbreaking initiative.

Professor Collins added: “This project promises to unlock the broader industrial use of carbon fibre by drastically reducing its production costs and environmental footprint.

“CARBOWAVE represents a step toward decarbonising Europe’s energy-intensive industries. By integrating plasma and microwave heating technologies, the project not only addresses immediate challenges like energy consumption and emissions but also paves the way for sustainable industrial growth.”

The project unites leading research institutions and industry partners across Europe to drive this transformative change with research team at UL partnering with the Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung in Germany, the University of Valencia, Spain, Fraunhofer IFAM in Germany, Microwave Technologies Consulting SAS in France, Muegge GmbH in Germany, Centro Ricerche Fiat in Italy, Juno Composite Ltd in Ireland, and Eirecomposites Ltd, also Ireland, form the CARBOWAVE consortium.

CARBOWAVE is a European commission-funded initiative, designed to develop and implement alternative heating sources for energy-intensive industries by leveraging advanced plasma and microwave technologies. It is funded by the European Union.

© Hamilton Osoy, IFM. Researchers braid a computer fiber with a combination of metal and textile yarns. Covering the fiber computer with traditional yarns enables it to be easily integrated into fabrics and textiles.
04.03.2025

MIT Research: Fiber computers for apparel

MIT researchers developed a fiber computer and networked several of them into a garment that learns to identify physical activities.

What if the clothes you wear could care for your health?
MIT researchers have developed an autonomous programmable computer in the form of an elastic fiber, which could monitor health conditions and physical activity, alerting the wearer to potential health risks in real-time. Clothing containing the fiber computer was comfortable and machine washable, and the fibers were nearly imperceptible to the wearer, the researchers report.

MIT researchers developed a fiber computer and networked several of them into a garment that learns to identify physical activities.

What if the clothes you wear could care for your health?
MIT researchers have developed an autonomous programmable computer in the form of an elastic fiber, which could monitor health conditions and physical activity, alerting the wearer to potential health risks in real-time. Clothing containing the fiber computer was comfortable and machine washable, and the fibers were nearly imperceptible to the wearer, the researchers report.

Unlike on-body monitoring systems known as “wearables,” which are located at a single point like the chest, wrist, or finger, fabrics and apparel have an advantage of being in contact with large areas of the body close to vital organs. As such, they present a unique opportunity to measure and understand human physiology and health.
The fiber computer contains a series of microdevices, including sensors, a microcontroller, digital memory, bluetooth modules, optical communications, and a battery, making up all the necessary components of a computer in a single elastic fiber.

The researchers added four fiber computers to a top and a pair of leggings, with the fibers running along each limb. In their experiments, each independently programmable fiber computer operated a machine-learning model that was trained to autonomously recognize exercises performed by the wearer, resulting in an average accuracy of about 70 percent.

Surprisingly, once the researchers allowed the individual fiber computers to communicate among themselves, their collective accuracy increased to nearly 95 percent.
“Our bodies broadcast gigabytes of data through the skin every second in the form of heat, sound, biochemicals, electrical potentials, and light, all of which carry information about our activities, emotions, and health. Unfortunately, most — if not all — of it gets absorbed and then lost in the clothes we wear. Wouldn’t it be great if we could teach clothes to capture, analyze, store, and communicate this important information in the form of valuable health and activity insights?” says Yoel Fink, a professor of materials science and engineering at MIT, a principal investigator in the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) and the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN), and senior author of a paper on the research, which has been published in Nature.

The use of the fiber computer to understand health conditions and help prevent injury will soon undergo a significant real-world test as well. U.S. Army and Navy service members will be conducting a monthlong winter research mission to the Arctic, covering 1,000 kilometers in average temperatures of -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Dozens of base layer merino mesh shirts with fiber computers will be providing real-time information on the health and activity of the individuals participating on this mission, called Musk Ox II.

“In the not-too-distant future, fiber computers will allow us to run apps and get valuable health care and safety services from simple everyday apparel. We are excited to see glimpses of this future in the upcoming Arctic mission through our partners in the U.S. Army, Navy, and DARPA. Helping to keep our service members safe in the harshest environments is a honor and privilege,” Fink says.

He is joined on the paper by co-lead authors Nikhil Gupta, an MIT materials science and engineering graduate student; Henry Cheung MEng ’23; and Syamantak Payra ’22, currently a graduate student at Stanford University; John Joannopoulos, the Francis Wright Professor of Physics at MIT and director of the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies; as well as others at MIT, Rhode Island School of Design, and Brown University.

Fiber focus
The fiber computer builds on more than a decade of work in the Fibers@MIT lab at the RLE and was supported primarily by ISN. In previous papers, the researchers demonstrated methods for incorporating semiconductor devices, optical diodes, memory units, elastic electrical contacts, and sensors into fibers that could be formed into fabrics and garments.

“But we hit a wall in terms of the complexity of the devices we could incorporate into the fiber because of how we were making it. We had to rethink the whole process. At the same time, we wanted to make it elastic and flexible so it would match the properties of traditional fabrics,” says Gupta.
 
One of the challenges that researchers surmounted is the geometric mismatch between a cylindrical fiber and a planar chip. Connecting wires to small, conductive areas, known as pads, on the outside of each planar microdevice proved to be difficult and prone to failure because complex microdevices have many pads, making it increasingly difficult to find room to attach each wire reliably.

In this new design, the researchers map the 2D pad alignment of each microdevice to a 3D layout using a flexible circuit board called an interposer, which they wrapped into a cylinder. They call this the “maki” design. Then, they attach four separate wires to the sides of the “maki” roll and connected all the components together.
“This advance was crucial for us in terms of being able to incorporate higher functionality computing elements, like the microcontroller and Bluetooth sensor, into the fiber,” says Gupta.

This versatile folding technique could be used with a variety of microelectronic devices, enabling them to incorporate additional functionality.

In addition, the researchers fabricated the new fiber computer using a type of thermoplastic elastomer that is several times more flexible than the thermoplastics they used previously. This material enabled them to form a machine-washable, elastic fiber that can stretch more than 60 percent without failure.

They fabricate the fiber computer using a thermal draw process that the Fibers@MIT group pioneered in the early 2000s. The process involves creating a macroscopic version of the fiber computer, called a preform, that contains each connected microdevice.

This preform is hung in a furnace, melted, and pulled down to form a fiber, which also contains embedded lithium-ion batteries so it can power itself.
“A former group member, Juliette Marion, figured out how to create elastic conductors, so even when you stretch the fiber, the conductors don’t break. We can maintain functionality while stretching it, which is crucial for processes like knitting, but also for clothes in general,” Gupta says.

Bring out the vote
Once the fiber computer is fabricated, the researchers use a braiding technique to cover the fiber with traditional yarns, such as polyester, merino wool, nylon, and even silk.

In addition to gathering data on the human body using sensors, each fiber computer incorporates LEDs and light sensors that enable multiple fibers in one garment to communicate, creating a textile network that can perform computation.

Each fiber computer also includes a Bluetooth communication system to send data wirelessly to a device like a smartphone, which can be read by a user.

The researchers leveraged these communication systems to create a textile network by sewing four fiber computers into a garment, one in each sleeve. Each fiber ran an independent neural network that was trained to identify exercises like squats, planks, arm circles, and lunges.

“What we found is that the ability of a fiber computer to identify human activity was only about 70 percent accurate when located on a single limb, the arms or legs.
However, when we allowed the fibers sitting on all four limbs to ‘vote,’ they collectively reached nearly 95 percent accuracy, demonstrating the importance of residing on multiple body areas and forming a network between autonomous fiber computers that does not need wires and interconnects,” Fink says.

Moving forward, the researchers want to use the interposer technique to incorporate additional microdevices.

Arctic insights
In February, a multinational team equipped with computing fabrics will travel for 30 days and 1,000 kilometers in the Arctic. The fabrics will help keep the team safe, and set the stage for future physiological “digital twinning” models.

“As a leader with more than a decade of Arctic operational experience, one of my main concerns is how to keep my team safe from debilitating cold weather injuries — a primary threat to operators in the extreme cold,” says U.S. Army Major Mathew Hefner, the commander of Musk Ox II. “Conventional systems just don’t provide me with a complete picture. We will be wearing the base layer computing fabrics on us 24/7 to help us better understand the body’s response to extreme cold and ultimately predict and prevent injury.”
 
Karl Friedl, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine senior research scientist of performance physiology, noted that the MIT programmable computing fabric technology may become a “gamechanger for everyday lives.”

“Imagine near-term fiber computers in fabrics and apparel that sense and respond to the environment and to the physiological status of the individual, increasing comfort and performance, providing real-time health monitoring and providing protection against external threats. Soldiers will be the early adopters and beneficiaries of this new technology, integrated with AI systems using predictive physiological models and mission-relevant tools to enhance survivability in austere environments,” Friedl says.

“The convergence of classical fibers and fabrics with computation and machine learning has only begun. We are exploring this exciting future not only through research and field testing, but importantly in an MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering course ‘Computing Fabrics,’ taught with Professor Anais Missakian from the Rhode Island School of Design,” adds Fink.

This research was supported, in part, by the U.S. Army Research Office Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology (ISN), the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship, the Paul and Daisy Soros Foundation Fellowship for New Americans, the Stanford-Knight Hennessy Scholars Program, and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

Source:

Adam Zewe | MIT News

Schematic of the proposed portable and wearable system for rapid contrast therapy. (c) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
26.02.2025

Pioneering Material Innovations for Enhanced Thermal Therapy

Rapid temperature contrast hydrotherapy, also known as contrast water therapy, involves alternating immersion in hot and cold water to aid in sports recovery. By rapidly switching between these temperature extremes, the therapy aims to invigorate the body's natural healing processes, making it a popular choice for athletes and individuals seeking relief from muscle soreness, joint pain, and stress.

Rapid temperature contrast hydrotherapy, also known as contrast water therapy, involves alternating immersion in hot and cold water to aid in sports recovery. By rapidly switching between these temperature extremes, the therapy aims to invigorate the body's natural healing processes, making it a popular choice for athletes and individuals seeking relief from muscle soreness, joint pain, and stress.

As a result, contrast water therapy is an effective strategy for enhancing overall athletic performance and facilitating faster recovery after competitions. Traditionally, contrast water therapy involves using two baths filled with cold and hot water respectively at precisely controlled constant temperatures . However, the facilities and significant water consumption required restrict the application of this therapy in daily athletic training. Existing wearable cooling and heating systems often struggle with limited heat transfer rates between the device and the human body, failing to meet the requirement for practical contrast water therapy.

A study published in Advanced Science highlights a breakthrough developed by a research team led by Prof. Xiaoming TAO, Chair Professor of Textile Technology of the School of Fashion and Textiles and Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The team created a novel portable system based on a wearable fluidic fabric device to facilitate rapid skin temperature modulation. The innovative system enables athletes to experience the benefits of contrast water therapy without the need for actual water immersion.

The system comprises several key components, which include wearable fluidic fabrics, a small water tank (with a volume of three litres, designed for one leg), a control machine for temperature regulation, a water pump, and a connection tube (Figure 1). The wearable fluidic fabrics are designed with multiple layers to optimise performance. These layers include an outer thermal insulation fabric layer for reducing heat transfer between fluid and the surrounding environment, a middle flexible heat transfer panel (FHTP) layer, and an ultra-thin inner fabric layer that is in contact with the skin (Figure 2). The core FHTP layer consists of two pieces of laminated fabrics that are joined together by one-step welding. To achieve a uniform and rapid cooling/heating effect, the FHTP is designed with both serpentine and network channel patterns.

The system features rapid cooling/heating transitions within ten seconds over an effective area of 0.3 square metre. Using a smartphone app, users can initiate the temperature therapy program, which allows either warm or cool water to be pumped from the tank into the channels within the fabric before being recirculated back into the tank. Each therapy cycle comprises two distinct modes: cold mode and hot mode. In the cold mode, the temperature of circulating water is set to approximately 5 °C for one minute. In this mode, the flowing water absorbs heat from the skin and the surrounding environment. In the hot mode, the water temperature is raised to 40 °C for two minutes. During this phase, heat is dissipated into the skin and the surroundings.

The wearable fluidic fabric device exhibits exceptional heat transfer properties. During cold therapy, the heat transfer coefficient measured between the skin and the fabric is 98.5 W m⁻² K⁻¹. This performance translates to an impressive 92% efficiency compared to direct water immersion, significantly surpassing that of benchmark liquid cooling garments, which typically exhibit heat transfer coefficients ranging from 13 to 37 W m⁻² K⁻¹. Overall, the FHTP demonstrates strong heat transfer capability. Specifically, the heat transfer effectiveness of the FHTP reaches up to 89% during cold therapy and approximately 55% during hot therapy.

This study marks a significant breakthrough in the development of wearable fluidic fabric capable of rapidly modulating skin temperature within a wide range—from 5 °C to 40 °C. In addition to its effectiveness in contrast water therapy, this innovative fluidic fabric presents extended potential applications in skin thermal management for medical purposes as well as in extreme situations such as encountered during fire protection activity.

The research is supported by the Sport Science and Research Funding Scheme of the Hong Kong SAR Government and Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust [No. P0042455], as well as the Endowed Professorship Fund of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University [No. 847A]. The data source and code can be obtained from the corresponding authors upon request.

Prof. Tao has been recognised by Stanford University as one of the top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide (career-long) in the field of materials for six consecutive years from 2019 to 2024. In acknowledgement of her outstanding contributions and expertise in engineering, she was elected as a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering in 2025. Currently, Prof. Tao serves as the Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Source:

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: Study by Prof. Xiaoming TAO and Team.

 ‘smart pyjamas’ to monitor sleep disorders © Luigi Occhipinti, Cambridge
21.02.2025

Scientists develop ‘smart pyjamas’ to monitor sleep disorders

Researchers have developed comfortable, washable ‘smart pyjamas’ that can monitor sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea at home, without the need for sticky patches, cumbersome equipment or a visit to a specialist sleep clinic.

The team, led by the University of Cambridge, developed printed fabric sensors that can monitor breathing by detecting tiny movements in the skin, even when the pyjamas are worn loosely around the neck and chest.

The sensors embedded in the smart pyjamas were trained using a ‘lightweight’ AI algorithm and can identify six different sleep states with 98.6% accuracy, while ignoring regular sleep movements such as tossing and turning. The energy-efficient sensors only require a handful of examples of sleep patterns to successfully identify the difference between regular and disordered sleep.

Researchers have developed comfortable, washable ‘smart pyjamas’ that can monitor sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea at home, without the need for sticky patches, cumbersome equipment or a visit to a specialist sleep clinic.

The team, led by the University of Cambridge, developed printed fabric sensors that can monitor breathing by detecting tiny movements in the skin, even when the pyjamas are worn loosely around the neck and chest.

The sensors embedded in the smart pyjamas were trained using a ‘lightweight’ AI algorithm and can identify six different sleep states with 98.6% accuracy, while ignoring regular sleep movements such as tossing and turning. The energy-efficient sensors only require a handful of examples of sleep patterns to successfully identify the difference between regular and disordered sleep.

The researchers say that their smart pyjamas could be useful for the millions of people in the UK who struggle with disordered sleep to monitor their sleep, and how it might be affected by lifestyle changes. The results are reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Sleep is vital for human health, yet more than 60% of adults experience poor sleep quality, leading to the loss of between 44 and 54 annual working days, and an estimated one percent reduction in global GDP. Sleep behaviours such as mouth breathing, sleep apnoea and snoring are major contributors to poor sleep quality, and can lead to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.

“Poor sleep has huge effects on our physical and mental health, which is why proper sleep monitoring is vital,” said Professor Luigi Occhipinti from the Cambridge Graphene Centre, who led the research. “However, the current gold standard for sleep monitoring, polysomnography or PSG, is expensive, complicated and isn’t suitable for long-term use at home.”

Home devices that are simpler than PSG, such as home sleep tests, typically focus on a single condition and are bulky or uncomfortable. Wearable devices such as smartwatches, while more comfortable to wear, can only infer sleep quality, and are not effective for accurately monitoring disordered sleep.

“We need something that is comfortable and easy to use every night, but is accurate enough to provide meaningful information about sleep quality,” said Occhipinti.

To develop the smart pyjamas, Occhipinti and his colleagues built on their earlier work on a smart choker for people with speech impairments. The team re-designed the graphene-based sensors for breath analysis during sleep, and made several design improvements to increase sensitivity.

“Thanks to the design changes we made, the sensors are able to detect different sleep states, while ignoring regular tossing and turning,” said Occhinpinti. “The improved sensitivity also means that the smart garment does not need to be worn tightly around the neck, which many people would find uncomfortable. As long as the sensors are in contact with the skin, they provide highly accurate readings.”

The researchers designed a machine learning model, called SleepNet, that uses the signals captured by the sensors to identify sleep states including nasal breathing, mouth breathing, snoring, teeth grinding, central sleep apnoea (CSA), and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). SleepNet is a ‘lightweight’ AI network, that reduces computational complexity to the point where it can be run on portable devices, without the need to connect to computers or servers.

“We pruned the AI model to the point where we could get the lowest computational cost with the highest degree of accuracy,” said Occhinpinti. “This way we are able to embed the main data processors in the sensors directly.”

The smart pyjamas were tested on healthy patients and those with sleep apnoea, and were able to detect a range of sleep states with an accuracy of 98.6%. By treating the smart pyjamas with a special starching step, they were able to improve the durability of the sensors so they can be run through a regular washing machine.

The most recent version of the smart pyjamas are also capable of wireless data transfer, meaning the sleep data can be securely transferred to a smartphone or computer.
“Sleep is so important to health, and reliable sleep monitoring can be key in preventative care,” said Occhipinti. “Since this garment can be used at home, rather than in a hospital or clinic, it can alert users to changes in their sleep that they can then discuss with their doctor. Sleep behaviours such as nasal versus mouth breathing are not typically picked up in an NHS sleep analysis, but it can be an indicator of disordered sleep.”

The researchers are hoping to adapt the sensors for a range of health conditions or home uses, such as baby monitoring, and have been in discussions with different patient groups. They are also working to improve the durability of the sensors for long-term use.

The research was supported in part by the EU Graphene Flagship, Haleon, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Source:

Reference:
Chenyu Tang, Wentian Yi et al. ‘A deep learning-enabled smart garment for accurate and versatile monitoring of sleep conditions in daily life.’ PNAS (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2420498122
Source: Sarah Collins, University of Cambridge; Übersetzung Textination mit KI

Dr Alana James and Dr Kelly Sheridan, pictured in the FibER Hub Dr Alana James and Dr Kelly Sheridan, pictured in the FibER Hub. Northumbria University
17.02.2025

Extent of microfibre pollution to be explored at new research hub

A newly established research hub in North East England will explore the extent and environmental impact of microfibre loss from textiles.

Microfibre shedding from clothing during machine washing and drying is well known, with the tiny fibres causing harm to wildlife and the environment when they enter soil, air and waterways.

Located on Northumbria University’s campus in the centre of Newcastle, the Fibre-fragmentation and Environment Research Hub (FibER Hub) is the result of a collaboration between the University and The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) and will extensively test a wide variety of fabrics to determine the level of microfibre loss under different conditions and the associated environmental impacts.

A newly established research hub in North East England will explore the extent and environmental impact of microfibre loss from textiles.

Microfibre shedding from clothing during machine washing and drying is well known, with the tiny fibres causing harm to wildlife and the environment when they enter soil, air and waterways.

Located on Northumbria University’s campus in the centre of Newcastle, the Fibre-fragmentation and Environment Research Hub (FibER Hub) is the result of a collaboration between the University and The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) and will extensively test a wide variety of fabrics to determine the level of microfibre loss under different conditions and the associated environmental impacts.

Recent research has shown that the clothes we wear are shedding microfibres throughout their entire lifespan, from textile manufacture through to everyday wear. Even microfibres from fabrics considered ‘natural’, such as cotton, can have a negative impact on the environment, as manufacturing processes introduce chemical dyes and finishes to the fabric so that it is no longer in its natural state.

Based in the Northumbria School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries, the FibER Hub features state-of-the-art equipment which will allow researchers to understand exactly what and how much fibre a fabric sheds at each stage of its lifespan.

In recent years, efforts have focused on quantifying microfibre loss from domestic laundering. This new collaboration will build on existing knowledge and compliment these learnings through the exploration of additional environmental settings in which textiles shed fibres.

It is hoped that the research will inform the development of more sustainable textiles in the future, with targeted interventions throughout the lifespan to reduce shedding rates.
Work on this topic is being led by The Microfibre Consortium (TMC), a science-led nonprofit organisation which is convening the global textiles sector through The Microfibre 2030 Commitment and Roadmap.

TMC connects academic research with the reality of commercial supply chain production to facilitate science-led change within the industry. It is the first and only organisation that is fully focused on this issue and works on behalf of its 95 signatories, which include global brands and retailers, suppliers, and NGOs.

The FibER Hub has been developed as part of the IMPACT+ project – a multi-disciplinary network of academics and industry experts, set up to challenge the way environmental impact is measured and assessed across the fashion and textile industries.

Established in 2023, the project is funded through UK Research and Innovation’s circular fashion and textile programme NetworkPlus, and includes academics from Northumbria University, King’s College London and Loughborough University, covering a variety of expertise, such as water, air and soil pollution, forensic science, design, and big data.

Working alongside them are representatives from global fashion brands including Barbour, Montane, and ASOS; sustainable clothing companies Agogic and This is Unfolded; campaign groups Fashion Revolution and WRAP; and the Northern Clothing and Textile Network, Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Gateshead Initiative.

Northumbria’s Dr Alana James is Principal Investigator for the project and said: “This strategic partnership reflects the core aim of the IMPACT+ Network by focusing on microfibres as an overlooked and unmeasured environmental pollutant.”

“Interdisciplinary collaboration with design and environmental science will enable our research to reduce fibre shedding at the root cause, whilst implementing these insights directly within an industry setting.”

Dr Kelly Sheridan is Chief Executive Officer of TMC and an Associate Professor in Forensic Science at Northumbria. Her research focuses on textile fibres and fibre fragmentation.

She said: “The FibER Hub collaboration enables TMC to draw on the interdisciplinary skills and technical capabilities of Northumbria and the IMPACT+ team to expand our knowledge offering to our signatory community.”

“Through this collaboration, the TMC research team will provide direction to relevant research informed by industry needs, to go beyond what is possible today and create robust, wide ranging and comprehensive lifespan data on fibre fragmentation.”

Source:

Northumbria University

Medical textiles, Pixabay Image: Sasin Tipchai on Pixabay
11.02.2025

Medical textiles with infection protection

In collaboration with Heraeus, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are developing fibers and textiles with a novel infection protection system. The basis is an antimicrobial mechanism of action licensed from Heraeus and marketed under the name AGXX. The goal of the collaboration is to optimally integrate the AGXX technology into textile finishes and coatings and to incorporate it into fiber-spinnable polymers. This will provide medical textiles with highly effective and long-lasting protection against microbial infections.
 

In collaboration with Heraeus, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are developing fibers and textiles with a novel infection protection system. The basis is an antimicrobial mechanism of action licensed from Heraeus and marketed under the name AGXX. The goal of the collaboration is to optimally integrate the AGXX technology into textile finishes and coatings and to incorporate it into fiber-spinnable polymers. This will provide medical textiles with highly effective and long-lasting protection against microbial infections.
 
AGXX technology is based on an entirely new mechanism of action. It uses a catalytic redox reaction initiated by metallic AGXX particles consisting of silver and ruthenium. In interaction with humidity, reactive oxygen species such as peroxides are formed. These are oxygen-containing molecules with very high reactivity. They effectively kill microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae and are equally effective against viruses.

The special feature of this mechanism of action is that the AGXX particles are not reduced and do not release any active ingredients. In established antimicrobial systems based on the release of silver ions, the release of active ingredients has become a problem: the release of the silver ion concentration is difficult to control and many of the established systems do not meet the requirements of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Such systems will disappear from the market in the medium term and must be replaced by alternatives.

In addition to permanent efficacy, the AGXX technology offers a particularly broad spectrum of protection against pathogens and prevents the formation of resistance.
      
Heraeus AGXX technology has reached a high level of development and is used in various industries. In general, AGXX particles can be easily incorporated into various materials. However, textiles used in the medical sector are subject to more stringent requirements. The resistance of the antimicrobial protection mechanism must be high, as contaminated textiles can be a source of transmission of pathogens over a long period of time. Modification of the textile material, either by surface treatment (finishing or coating) or by incorporation of AGXX into filament yarns, should not adversely affect the physiology of the garment. This is because a reduction in textile properties is unlikely to be accepted by the wearers of the textiles.

The integration of AGXX particles into textile finishes and fiber spinnable polymers is the focus of the joint research approach of the DITF and Heraeus. The goal is not only to determine the optimal concentration of AGXX particles to provide the best possible protection against infection without compromising the mechanical properties of the textiles. The technical prerequisites for the development of suitable textile finishes and the compounding of polymer melts are also being created.

The resulting textile samples are tested for antimicrobial and antiviral activity in the DITF's own laboratories. Here, finishes and coatings for polyester and polyamide fabrics showed convincing results. The compounding of AGXX in the PA6 polymer melt enabled the production of filament fibers with consistently good fiber strength values.

The determination of textile mechanical parameters such as abrasion resistance, air permeability and dimensional change as a function of number of wash cycles is still in progress. However, it is becoming apparent that textiles modified with AGXX are consistently effective without having an excessive impact on the nature of the textile.

The results of the research are an important contribution to reducing the risk of infection from medical workwear. They form the basis for future industrial production of textiles for durable and reliable protection against infection.

Source:

DITF Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung
Contact: Dipl.-Ing. Cigdem Kaya, Competence Center Textile Chemistry, Environment & Energy, Barrier textiles

Photo by FlyD on Unsplash
04.02.2025

Sustainable Textiles – The Way Forward

High dependence on fossil carbon, associated high carbon footprint, low recycling rates and microplastics: several solutions are emerging.

The evolution of the demand for textile fibres from 1960 to the present day shows how the textile industry found itself in this dilemma. In 1960, around 95% of textile fibres were of natural origin, from bio-based carbon, and there was no problem with microplastics, all fibres were biodegradable.

High dependence on fossil carbon, associated high carbon footprint, low recycling rates and microplastics: several solutions are emerging.

The evolution of the demand for textile fibres from 1960 to the present day shows how the textile industry found itself in this dilemma. In 1960, around 95% of textile fibres were of natural origin, from bio-based carbon, and there was no problem with microplastics, all fibres were biodegradable.

The explosion in demand – 650% between 1960 and 2023 – could only be met by synthetic fibres from the chemical and plastics industries. Their share grew from 3% in 1960 to 68% in 2023 and from less than 700,000 tonnes to 85 million tonnes/year (The Fiber Year 2024). The new fibres covered a wide range of properties, could even achieve previously unknown properties and, above all, thanks to a powerful and innovative chemical and plastics industry, production volumes could be rapidly increased and comparatively low prices realised.
 
At the same time, sustainability has declined, the carbon footprint of the textiles has increased significantly and the issue of microplastics requires solutions.

The first step would be to significantly increase the proportion of renewable fibres, as this is the only way to reduce dependence on fossil carbon, especially in the form of crude oil, and thus reduce the carbon footprint. But how can this be done? As defined by the Renewable Carbon Initiative, renewable carbon comes from biomass, CO2 and recycling: From carbon above ground. This addresses the core problem of climate change, which is extracting and using additional fossil carbon from the ground that will end up in the atmosphere.
 
What can cotton, bast fibres and wool contribute?
Cotton fibre production can hardly be increased, it is stagnating between 20 and max. 25 million tonnes/year. Cultivated areas can hardly be expanded, and existing areas are salinized by the irrigation required. With the exception of about 1% organic cotton, significant amounts of pesticides are used. The market share of “preferred” cotton – defined by a list of recognized programmes – will fall from 27% of total cotton production in 2019/20 to 24% in 2020/21, after years of growth. (Textile Exchange, October 2022: Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report) Bast fibres such as jute (75%), flax, hemp, ramie or kenaf would require a huge boost in technology development and capacity investment and will nevertheless probably remain more expensive than cotton, simply because bast fibres are much more complicated to process, e.g. separating the fibre from the stalk, which is not necessary for cotton as a fruit fibre. As a source of cellulose fibre, bast fibres will remain more expensive than wood.

Although bast fibres are more sustainable than many other fibres, there is unlikely to be a major change – unless China focuses on bast fibres as a substitute for cotton. Plans to do so have been put on hold due to technological problems.

The importance of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs) or simply cellulose fibres
Cellulose fibre production has been growing steadily over the last decades, reaching an all-time high of nearly 8 million tonnes in 2023, and is expected to grow further to 11 million tonnes in 2030. Cellulosic fibres are the only bio-based and biodegradable fibres that cover a wider range of properties and applications and can rapidly increase their capacity. The raw materials can be virgin wood as well as all types of cellulosic waste streams from forestry, agriculture, cotton processing waste, textile waste and paper waste. Increasing the share of cellulosic fibres will therefore play a crucial role in solving the sustainability challenges of the textile industry.

The production of MMCFs includes viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate and cupro. The market share of FSC and/or PEFC certified MMCF increased from 55–60% in 2020 to 60–65% of all MMCF in 2021. The market share of “recycled MMCFs” increased to an estimated share of 0.5%. Much research and development is underway. As a result, the volumes of recycled MMCFs are expected to increase significantly in the coming years. (Textile Exchange, October 2022: Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report)

The CEPI study “Forest-Based Biorefineries: Innovative Bio-Based Products for a Clean Transition” (renewable-carbon.eu/publications/product/innovative-bio-based-products-for-a-clean-transition-pdf/) identified 143 biorefineries in Europe, of which 126 are operational and 17 are planned. Most of them are based on chemical pulping (67%) – the precursor of cellulose fibres. Most biorefineries are located in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Portugal and Austria. But there are already biorefineries in operation or planned in 18 different European countries.

The global report “Is there enough biomass to defossilise the Chemicals and Derived Materials Sector by 2050?” (upcoming publication end of February 2025, available here: renewablecarbon.eu/publications) shows particularly high growth in dissolving/chemical pulp (from 9 in 2020 to 44 million tonnes in 2050; growth of 406%), cellulose fibres (from 7 in 2020 to 38 million tonnes in 2050; growth of 447%) and cellulose derivatives (from 2 in 2020 to 6 million tonnes in 2050; growth of 190%).

Biosynthetics – Bio-based and CO2-based Synthetic Fibres
To further reduce the share of fossil-based synthetic fibres, bio-based polymer fibres (also called “biosynthetics”) are an excellent option because of their wide range of properties – only the implementation will take decades as the share today is only below 0.5%. There are many options, such as polyester fibres (PLA, PTT, PEF, PHA), polyolefin fibres (PE/PP), bio-based PA fibres from castor oil. PTT, for example, is well established in the US carpet market and PLA in the hygiene market. They are all bio-based, but only a few are also biodegradable (PLA, PHA).
 
Biosynthetics are one of many applications of bio-based polymers. In general, 17 bio-based polymers are currently commercially available with an installed capacity of over 4 million tonnes in 2023. Ten of these bio-based polymers are used as biosynthetics. resulting in the production of over one million tonnes of biosynthetics (nova report: Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers – Global Capacities, Production and Trends 2023–2028, renewable-carbon.eu/publications/product/bio-based-buildingblocks-and-polymers-global-capacities-production-and-trends-2023-2028-short-version/).

In principle, many fibres can also be made from CO2, but here the technology and capacity needs to be developed, perhaps in parallel with the production of sustainable aviation fuels from CO2, which will become mandatory.

Circular Economy – Recycling of Textile Waste & Fibre-to-Fibre Recycling
The textile industry is at a pivotal moment, where sustainability is no longer an option but a necessity. As the environmental impact of textile production and disposal becomes increasingly clear, the pressure to adopt circular economy principles is growing.

One promising solution is fibre-to-fibre recycling, a process that converts used textiles into new, highquality fibres, effectively closing the waste loop. While significant progress has been made in the European Union, challenges remain, particularly in scaling up technologies, lack of collection systems and handling of mixed fibre textiles. Europe currently generates approximately 6.95 (1.25 + 5.7) million tonnes of textile waste per year, of which only 1.95 million tonnes is collected separately and 1.02 million tonnes is treated by recycling or backfilling.
 
The recycling of textiles reduces the demand for virgin fibres and the textile footprint. The share of recycled fibres increased slightly from 8.4% in 2020 to 8.9% in 2021, mainly due to an increase in bottlebased PET fibres. However, in 2021, less than 1% of the global fibre market will come from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles (Textile Exchange, October 2022: Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report). New regulations from Brussels for closed-loop recycling, especially bottle-to-bottle recycling, could threaten the use of bottle-based PET fibres in the textile industry. This would mean a reduction in recycling rates in the textile industry until the logistics and technologies are in place to recycle textiles on a large scale. This will be necessary to contribute to the circular economy. Several research projects are underway to find solutions and first pilot implementations are available.

The Future of Sustainable Textiles
The sustainable textile industry of the future will be built on a foundation of cotton fibres and fast-growing cellulose fibres, later strongly supported by bio- and CO2-based synthetic fibres (“biosynthetics”), and high recycling rates for all types of fibres. This combination can eventually replace most fossil-based synthetic fibres by 2050.

To get the latest information on cellulose fibres, the nova-Institute organises the “Cellulose Fibres Conference” every year, which will take place next time in Cologne on 12 and 13 March 2025 – this year for the first time with biosynthetics.

Source:

Michael Carus and Dr. Asta Partanen, nova-Institute (Germany)

Russell Holden, Pixabay
28.01.2025

Project explores possibilities for UK wetsuit recycling

The University of Plymouth will work with Circular Flow to examine the scope for developing a UK neoprene recycling facility. A plan to develop the UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility is among eight new projects funded by Future Fibres Network Plus.

Many wetsuits are made from neoprene – but the UK currently has no way of recycling them, meaning more than 380 tonnes is burned or landfilled each year. The neoprene recycling project is one of the eight mini projects newly funded by the network.

The University of Plymouth will work with Circular Flow to examine the scope for developing a UK neoprene recycling facility. A plan to develop the UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility is among eight new projects funded by Future Fibres Network Plus.

Many wetsuits are made from neoprene – but the UK currently has no way of recycling them, meaning more than 380 tonnes is burned or landfilled each year. The neoprene recycling project is one of the eight mini projects newly funded by the network.

Led by the University of Plymouth and working with industry partner Circular Flow Ltd, it will examine the scope for developing a UK neoprene recycling facility to help make the surfing and diving industry more circular or sustainable. Circular Flow already has a facility in Bulgaria, but establishing one in the UK – home to some of the world’s most popular surfing locations – would be a significant development.
Dr Kayleigh Wyles, Associate Professor in Psychology: “Our project will investigate the level of interest among UK businesses for returning end-of-life wetsuits and accessories to a UK facility where they can be turned into new and useful products. We also aim to understand consumers’ willingness to purchase and wear recycled neoprene products, and explore the logistics of developing a recycling facility.”

“Many of those who buy and wear wetsuits have a genuine interest in the environment, and therefore in the sustainability of these products. However, wetsuits are one of the hardest products to recycle and the possibility of opening a recycling facility in the UK is very exciting,” stated Emma Major-Mudge,
Head of Sales and Commercial Partnerships, Circular Flow
 
Dr Katie Major-Smith, a post-doctoral researcher involved in the project, added: Ultimately, we hope to promote circularity in the water sports industry and keep hundreds of tonnes of wetsuits out of landfill.

If the findings suggest there is sufficient support for a neoprene recycling facility, the team will develop an investment pack to share with funders to help build it.

Future Fibres Network Plus – which aims to bring environmental science into the heart of the UK fashion, clothing and textile sectors – is a network led by the University of Exeter, collaborating with the universities of Leeds, Huddersfield and Plymouth, University of the Arts London, and the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).

Through its flexible fund, Future Fibres Network Plus is investing a total of £1 million in the eight projects.

Those projects include another initiative being led by the University, in partnership with Plan B Recycling Technologies Ltd, centred around the fibre-to-fibre recycling potential of polyester.
Recycled polyester pellets are often of low quality due to contamination by other materials, and the new project will develop a pre-recycling treatment process to improve recycled polyester quality.
It will address barriers to fibre recycling, examine the levels of microfibre release during laundry, and create a knowledge repository to optimise recycling processes.

Future Fibres Network Plus sits within the Network Plus in Circular Fashion and Textiles, a collaboration of three sub-networks that seeks to understand and drive the fashion and textile industry towards sustainable and responsible practices. The Network Plus is part of the UKRI £15million Circular Fashion and Textile Programme.

Source:

University of Plymouth

The DITF light lab. (c) DITF
20.01.2025

Textile daylight management when the winter sun is at an angle

When the sun is currently shining, shading textiles face particular challenges. On the one hand, they should allow as much daylight as possible into the rooms during the dark season. On the other hand, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is so low that the light is particularly dazzling - much more so than in summer. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are using special light measurement techniques to research suitable shading textiles.

Daylight enhances well-being and has many advantages over artificial lighting. Sensible daylight management can therefore increase the ability to perform and concentrate. As less artificial light is required and solar gains and losses are used for room air conditioning, daylight management also saves energy.

When the sun is currently shining, shading textiles face particular challenges. On the one hand, they should allow as much daylight as possible into the rooms during the dark season. On the other hand, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is so low that the light is particularly dazzling - much more so than in summer. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are using special light measurement techniques to research suitable shading textiles.

Daylight enhances well-being and has many advantages over artificial lighting. Sensible daylight management can therefore increase the ability to perform and concentrate. As less artificial light is required and solar gains and losses are used for room air conditioning, daylight management also saves energy.

Textile daylight systems influence the incidence of light and are mainly designed to be movable. Internal systems include, for example, roller blinds, folding blinds and curtains. External systems are external venetian blinds, awnings and screens that are guided in front of the façade. The DITF can precisely measure daylight behavior in its light and dark laboratories - even beyond existing standardized test methods. A test method developed in Denkendorf allows the glare control of solar protection devices to be re-evaluated and has been included in the standard to determine the cut-off angle. This cut-off angle describes the extent to which a solar protection device can block the transmission of direct light from a certain angle of incidence. In the currently valid standard, glare control is quantified using the two characteristics of normal and diffuse light transmittance. For solar protection devices with an openness coefficient of 1-3 %, a higher glare control class can be achieved. This applies to cut-off angles of 65° or less. The cut-off angle is determined by an angle-dependent measurement of the direct light transmittance. During the test, the solar protection textile is rotated in a modified test sample holder from the zero point until the direct light transmittance falls below a defined threshold value. This process is repeated after a gradual azimuthal rotation of the test sample, in other words a rotation of the textile in the test sample holder. Depending on the symmetry properties of the sample, up to 29 individual measurements may be required to determine the cut-off angle.

At the DITF, testing and development facilities for other photometric requirements such as incident light, self-luminous textiles and light-conducting textiles are available for industrial product developments.

Source:

Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf

Silk Yarn Photo: LoggaWiggler from Pixabay
14.01.2025

Discarded silk yarn can clean up polluted waterways

Cornell researchers have developed an elegant and sustainable way to clean up waterways: reusing one waste product to remove another.

Cornell researchers have developed an elegant and sustainable way to clean up waterways: reusing one waste product to remove another.

Led by Larissa Shepherd, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design, in the College of Human Ecology, the team has proposed using discarded silk yarn for the removal of dye and oil from water. Studies on several different forms of silk: fabrics, yarns, and fibers revealed that yarn unraveled from silk fabric, soaked up methylene blue (MB), a common textile dye, from water at a substantially higher rate than other forms of silk they tested.
 
What’s more, the silk yarn can be cleaned and reused. Shepherd’s group found that the textile can withstand at least 10 cycles, with minimal loss of functionality.
 
Shepherd is the corresponding author of “Waste Bombyx Mori Silk Textiles as Efficient and Reuseable Bio-Adsorbents for Methylene Blue Dye Removal and Oil-Water Separation,” published in November 2024 in the journal Fibers. Co-authors are Hansadi Jayamaha, doctoral candidate in the field of fiber science, and Isabel Schorn ’26, a fiber science undergraduate.

Jayamaha found that 12 milligrams of silk filament yarn have 90% MB dye removal efficiency within 10 minutes of exposure, for concentrations up to 100 parts per million, substantially greater than the efficiency of other forms – even electrospun fiber mats or fabrics treated with the hollow silk microparticle spheres, which was a surprise, the researchers said.

“By creating the spheres,” Jayamaha said, “we were creating a more hydrophilic surface compared to the silk fabric, which is more hydrophobic. But by disassembling the fabric to the yarn stage, we are creating higher surface area, and that improves the adsorption.”

The group also tested silk textile adsorption capacity with oil, and found that Noil fabric (a textile that contains silk yarns composed of short fibers, rather than filament) displays oil adsorption capacities three times the initial weight of the fabric for corn oil, and close to twice the weight for gasoline.

Tests on both materials showed that, following a diminishment of function after the first cleaning-reuse cycle, the material maintained its functionality for the subsequent nine cycles.
This intrinsic property of silk as a dye adsorbent, the group found, can be achieved without chemical or other alteration of the material – just deconstructing the textile product.
     
“When you regenerate silk, you have to use very harsh chemicals,” Shepherd said. “In our case, we’re just using the fabrics themselves. Yes, we may have to unravel them to get the benefit, but that’s much better than putting these harsh chemicals out into the environment.”

Shepherd envisions “pillows” containing the silk yarn unraveled from discarded textiles and remnants from the cut and sew operations of the textiles industry as being an effective means of cleaning up spills and waste materials, including MB dye, which is detrimental to agricultural land and waterways when it is accidentally released from textile plants.

“We realized that we can kill two birds with one stone: We can get rid of waste textiles, which is a big issue in the textile industry in general,” Shepherd said. “And then we found that it’s actually really good at adsorbing, just because of its natural, structural properties.”

This work made use of the Cornell Center for Materials Research Shared Facilities, as well as the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. This work was partially funded by an American Association of Textiles Chemists and Colorists graduate research grant.

Source:

Tom Fleischman, Cornell Chronicle

fashion waste AI generated, Pete Linforth from Pixabay
07.01.2025

Study calls for city fashion waste shakeup

With most donated clothes exported or thrown away, experts are calling for a shakeup of how we deal with the growing fashion waste issue.

A first of its kind study, published in Nature Cities, analysed what happens to clothes and other textiles after consumers no longer want them in Amsterdam, Austin, Berlin, Geneva, Luxembourg, Manchester, Melbourne, Oslo and Toronto.

Across most western cities from Melbourne to Manchester it found the same pattern of textile waste being exported, going to landfill or being dumped in the environment.

Global textiles waste each year weighs 92 million tonnes and this could double by 2030.

Charity shops handle a large amount of used clothes, but the study found because many are poor quality and there's little financial benefit to manage them locally, charities trade some valuable items and discard or export the rest.

With most donated clothes exported or thrown away, experts are calling for a shakeup of how we deal with the growing fashion waste issue.

A first of its kind study, published in Nature Cities, analysed what happens to clothes and other textiles after consumers no longer want them in Amsterdam, Austin, Berlin, Geneva, Luxembourg, Manchester, Melbourne, Oslo and Toronto.

Across most western cities from Melbourne to Manchester it found the same pattern of textile waste being exported, going to landfill or being dumped in the environment.

Global textiles waste each year weighs 92 million tonnes and this could double by 2030.

Charity shops handle a large amount of used clothes, but the study found because many are poor quality and there's little financial benefit to manage them locally, charities trade some valuable items and discard or export the rest.

In Melbourne, charities export high-quality, often vintage, second-hand clothes to Europe, forcing the city’s independent resale businesses to import similar apparel back from Europe or the United States.
But overall, charities and collectors have been reporting the plummeting quality of garments over the past 15 to 20 years, decreasing resale potential.

Study co-author Dr Yassie Samie, from RMIT University, said local governments and charities need to coordinate more to manage textile waste.

“We're used to charities doing the heavy lifting, but they’ve been unable to fully handle the volume of donated clothes for a long time now,” Samie said.

“Charities are driven by social welfare values and need to raise funds for their programs.

“However, their operations are ill-equipped to deal with the volume of used textiles that need to be reused and recycled.

“Given the role of charities within communities, it's essential they expand beyond direct resale in second-hand shops and explore other business models, such as swapping and repair centres.”

Overconsumption and oversupply were the main drivers of the cities’ textile waste, causing the export of between 33% (Australia) and 97% (Norway) of donated clothes.

Collaboration in local networks the key
Most local governments in the cities studied did not get involved in textile waste beyond providing public spaces and licenses for charity bins and commercial resellers.

Across cities like Melbourne, local governments send dumped textiles directly to landfill, instead of diverting to recycling or reuse facilities or other local alternatives.

“This indicates the lack of mechanism and incentives in place to drive real systemic change,” Samie said.

Amsterdam was the opposite – its municipality manages collection and sorting of unwanted clothes and encourages collection of all textiles, including nonreusable ones.

From January 2025, European Union Member States must establish separate collection systems for used textiles.

But the biggest per capita discarders of textile waste, Australia and the US, have no such regulation.

Fashion advertising ban
Samie said it was important to incentivise promotion of local alternatives to fast fashion, including reselling, swapping and repairing.

“Sustainable fashion initiatives like second-hand retailers struggle to compete with fashion brands’ big marketing budgets and convenient locations,” she said.

“Fast fashion alternatives exist but they are under-promoted, despite their potential to significantly reduce cities’ textile waste.”

To create more space for these alternatives, the study’s authors called for a ban on fashion advertising in cities. “A ban on fashion advertisements would give more space to promote more sustainable alternatives,” Samie said.

France recently introduced a ban on advertising ultra-fast fashion, while each item will come with a penalty of up to 10 euros by 2030.

Samie said she would like to work with local governments to find better uses for discarded textiles.

‘Urban transitions toward sufficiency-oriented circular post-consumer textile economies’, with Katia Vladimirova, Yassie Samie, Irene Maldini, Samira Iran, Kirsi Laitala, Claudia E. Henninger, Sarah Ibrahim Alosaimi, Kelly Drennan, Hannah Lam, Ana-Luisa Teixeira, Iva Jestratijevic and Sabine Weber, is published in Nature Cities (DOI: 10.1038/s44284-024-00140-7).
Source: Aеden Rаtcliffe, RMIT University

More information:
textile waste Fast Fashion
Source:

Aеden Rаtcliffe, RMIT University

Heimtextil Trends Photo: Alcova für Heimtextil
20.12.2024

Storytelling and natural beauty - solutions for retailers

Price pressure, reluctance to buy and changing demands on the longevity of products. Retailers around the world are facing similar challenges. Heimtextil Trends 25/26, curated by the Milan-based design platform Alcova, consciously addresses these challenges and provides valuable inspiration and conclusive solutions. Visitors will find these in the Trend Arena in Hall 3.0 at Heimtextil from 14 to 17 January 2025.

Price pressure, reluctance to buy and changing demands on the longevity of products. Retailers around the world are facing similar challenges. Heimtextil Trends 25/26, curated by the Milan-based design platform Alcova, consciously addresses these challenges and provides valuable inspiration and conclusive solutions. Visitors will find these in the Trend Arena in Hall 3.0 at Heimtextil from 14 to 17 January 2025.

With its three themes - ‘Naturally Uneven’, ‘Radically Restructured’ and ‘Regenerative’ - Heimtextil Trends 25/26 focuses on key values such as integrity, longevity and ecological awareness. These themes reflect what is becoming increasingly important to customers: Products that not only impress with their aesthetics, but also fulfil ethical and ecological requirements. These approaches can be experienced live in the Trend Arena - from material qualities and colours to innovative production processes. Retailers will be given concrete inspiration and tools to orientate their product range towards more conscious consumption. After all, consumers' purchasing decisions are clear: long-lasting, highquality products that are also produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way are very popular. A recent study conducted by IFH on behalf of Messe Frankfurt confirms this. Consumers are becoming increasingly selective and weigh things up carefully before making a purchase decision. When they decide in favour of a product, it must be convincing in all areas: durable, high quality - but also sustainable. After all, the majority of Europeans attach great importance to sustainability when it comes to home textiles. Aspects such as long-lasting products, recyclable materials and transparency are among the key criteria.

The beauty of the imperfect: ‘Naturally Uneven’
‘Naturally Uneven’ celebrates the rawness and authenticity of natural materials. Fabrics such as linen, hemp, jute and wool stand for organic structures and handmade perfection in the imperfect. Small imperfections and natural grains make each piece unique and tell stories of craftsmanship and originality. The colour palette emphasises this natural aesthetic: soft grey like untreated stone, unbleached fibre tones and the delicate ‘Rose of Permanence’, which symbolises down-to-earthness and timelessness.

Innovation meets sustainability: ‘Radically Restructured’
This theme shows how advanced technologies and environmentally conscious design merge. The focus is on recycled materials that minimise the consumption of resources and set new standards in textile production. Heavy and light, transparent and opaque - these contrasts create a fascinating interplay of structure and appearance. In terms of colour, bold shades such as ‘End of Petrol’ and ‘New Green Deal’ dominate, visualising the upheaval. Techniques such as 3D weaving, digital printing and laser cutting reflect the innovative power that characterises this approach.

Redefining circular thinking: ‘Regenerative’
‘Regenerative’ embodies the principles of renewal, growth and circularity for customers who want to help shape a more sustainable future. Here you will find a mix of natural, recycled and bio-based fibres from linen, hemp and recycled wool to textiles that have been upcycled or reused. Handcrafted elements and techniques underline the focus on imperfection and individuality, while colours such as ‘Regenerative Azure’ or ‘Repairable Green’ convey the theme in all its many facets.

More information:
Heimtextil Trends Retail
Source:

Messe Frankfurt

Stains on the white cotton fabric treated with zinc oxide. Photo: Mikael Nyberg / University of Turku
11.12.2024

Self-cleaning cotton or a colour-changing print

For many years researchers from Nordic countries have worked for making textile industry more sustainable. Now there are prototypes of cotton which can clean itself and of textiles which are created of invasive lupines.  

How could future clothes and textiles become more ecofriendly, smart and sustainable? A research group from Nordic countries has tried to figure out this for many years and in October the prototypes they have made were presented in an exhibition in Turku.

A doctoral researcher Alicja Lawrynowicz from Faculty of Technology at the University of Turku has been developing two different smart textiles. In one of the projects researchers have created a cotton fabric which can clean itself without water.

For many years researchers from Nordic countries have worked for making textile industry more sustainable. Now there are prototypes of cotton which can clean itself and of textiles which are created of invasive lupines.  

How could future clothes and textiles become more ecofriendly, smart and sustainable? A research group from Nordic countries has tried to figure out this for many years and in October the prototypes they have made were presented in an exhibition in Turku.

A doctoral researcher Alicja Lawrynowicz from Faculty of Technology at the University of Turku has been developing two different smart textiles. In one of the projects researchers have created a cotton fabric which can clean itself without water.

This is possible because the fabric has been treated with mineral called zinc oxide.
 
The mineral forms a self-cleaning layer and stains on the fabric disappear when they are exposed to the daylight, in other words ultraviolet light. If stains disappear by themselves, it reduces the need of washing and garment burdens nature less.

Here you can see how the stains gradually disappear on the white cotton fabric that has been treated with zinc oxide.

In the other textile project, researchers have managed to develop non-toxic textile print which changes its colour when it is subjected to sunlight. Mineral hackmanite, which reacts to ultraviolet radiation, is used here. The mineral does not originate from mines but is created in a laboratory in Turku.

For first time ever, hackmanite is now used in textile prints. The mineral works as an ultraviolet censor and changes its colour when you have been too long time in the sun and must protect yourself. It can reduce the risk for the damage of the sun, says Alicja Lawrynowicz.

Material out to the market
Prototypes which now have been retrieved are not yet available in larger scale. So, what is going to happen with all discoveries?
The idea is that they are not going to stay in the laboratory. We hope that in the future our innovations will be used in industry, says Lawrynowicz.

The research is multidisciplinary, which means that there has been cooperation between different research groups. Research goes on also in other Nordic countries.  

Lupine can become textiles
In Denmark one research group has invested in ecofriendly colouring and created dyes out of big amounts of waste from local restaurants, among others avocado and onion peels. Avocado peels give textiles a beautiful yellow colour and onion creates brown nuances. In future these colours could replace traditional, toxic dyes.

At the same time researchers in Aalto University have produced textiles out of lupine, which is an invasive species in Finland.

Until now we have been removing lupines out of ditches and seeing it as a problem, but here researchers have created fibers and been able to weave a cloth out of it, says research coordinator Helen Salminen from the field of material science at the University of Turku.

Within the framework of the project researchers in Sweden have in turn worked on developing alternatives to plastic fibers (elastane) which are often used in jeans fabric for making fabric more elastic.

Cotton which contains a few percent of plastic fibers is difficult to recycle. This makes it difficult to use the fabric as a raw material for further processes. For that reason, it is important to find new ways to weave fabric so that fabric can be recycled and can be elastic without plastic fibers, says Alicja Lawrynowicz.

Source:

Aalto University, YLE Svenska about the NordForsk-funded project 'Beyond e-Textiles' and 'Interlaced' exhibition at the University of Turku

ISPO Awards (c) Messe München
03.12.2024

ISPO 2024: Awarded Innovations & Tomorrow’s Newcomers

ISPO Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for the sports industry and the world’s largest sports business event, is about to begin and will soon present the prestigious ISPO Awards to the most innovative products and newcomers of tomorrow. The ISPO Awards are regarded as a global driving force for the sports industry. Showcasing the latest trends and innovations in product design, materials and digital solutions, these awards set new standards for the future of the sports industry.

The best products of 2024 will be honoured at ISPO Munich in December and can be seen at the ISPO Award area in Hall B1 from 3 to 5 December 2024. At the same time, newcomers to the sports and outdoor industry will be given a stage at ISPO Brandnew, the largest start-up competition in the sports business, where they will present their innovative products in exciting live pitches during ISPO Munich. The grand finale will take place on the second day of the event on the Main Stage.

ISPO Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for the sports industry and the world’s largest sports business event, is about to begin and will soon present the prestigious ISPO Awards to the most innovative products and newcomers of tomorrow. The ISPO Awards are regarded as a global driving force for the sports industry. Showcasing the latest trends and innovations in product design, materials and digital solutions, these awards set new standards for the future of the sports industry.

The best products of 2024 will be honoured at ISPO Munich in December and can be seen at the ISPO Award area in Hall B1 from 3 to 5 December 2024. At the same time, newcomers to the sports and outdoor industry will be given a stage at ISPO Brandnew, the largest start-up competition in the sports business, where they will present their innovative products in exciting live pitches during ISPO Munich. The grand finale will take place on the second day of the event on the Main Stage.

The ISPO Award seal of quality is given to sports products with a particularly high level of innovation, thus providing a curated overview of the most important trends in the industry. For the brands, innovations are enormously important and indispensable, whether in the textile sector, where much has changed in terms of materials, or in the integration of AI into all sub-sectors of the sporting goods industry. An expert jury of business professionals and regularly changing, sports-loving retail consumers from the ISPO Collaborators Club will review the submitted product innovations in advance and award prizes to the ones that meet the relevant criteria.

The submitted products make it possible to identify and observe trends. In 2024, the spectrum of trends continues to include sustainability in relation to textile innovations, the circular economy and recycling, as well as retail consumers’ desire for multipurpose use of diverse products. The integration of technology and the ever-growing role of AI numbers among the most exciting observations.

SUSTAINABILITY AS THE STANDARD
New EU legislation has led to an acceleration in the development of sustainable, functional materials. At this year’s ISPO Award jury meetings, numerous exciting material innovations were observed, especially in the textile sector. Progress in chemical treatments, such as PFC-free DWRs and textiles, is also remarkable. “Sustainability is increasingly becoming the norm, which means that consumers are coming to expect it as standard”, says juror and textile expert Dr Regina Henkel. “Progress is visible, for example, in the use of mono-materials or bio-based fabrics such as wool-Tencel blends”, which are used, for example, in this year’s ISPO Award winner Icebreaker with the Merino Blend 800 RealFleece Classic Pile LS Zip.

The ISPO Award entries also make it obvious that the performance of sustainable products made from recycled fibres has improved markedly so that the functionality of these products is now fully on a par with non-recycled items. Nevertheless, recycling will not be the solution to all future challenges, which is why manufacturers are increasingly incorporating into their collections natural fibres and biodegradable sports textiles, either in pure form or as a blend.

MULTI-USE REMAINS A TOP TREND
The trend towards multifunctional products reflects consumers’ desire for practical solutions. Particularly in Asia, multifunctional hardware products are perceived positively, while in Europe the focus is on textiles for multifunctional use. “High-quality, high-performance materials and designs are being adapted as everyday fashion, thus appealing to a broader target group”, explains trade journalist Dr Martina Wengenmeir, who is also one of the ISPO Award’s jurors. The “urban outdoor” trend is continuing and multipurpose products are also coming into focus in the area of commitment. One example of this is the Outdoor Backpack 45L from Peak Design, which combines fashionable and multifunctional design with full performance.

ISPO Award juror Dr Wengenmeir has identified another trend: “There is a growing focus on technical sports products designed specifically for women. These include football shoes with a design that is genuinely their own. This development goes beyond simple adjustments and includes well-thought-out designs in terms of fit and functionality.” These also include the BettHer - Bra Antishock+: the bra relies on a patented thermoplastic gel technology that provides excellent shock absorption and protection during intense activities.

INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY
A trend from Asia that is also arriving in Europe is the integration of technology into clothing, for example through sensors and warmth apps. The personalisation of garments using technologies such as AI and sensor technology for temperature regulation is regarded as a potential growth area, despite concerns about sustainability.

Technology is also playing an increasingly important role for brick-and-mortar retailers, for example, when it comes to analysing the right product for the customer. Treadmills for running analysis are well known, but this year’s ISPO Award winner, the Skimulator, is a patented world first for a perfect fit of ski boots. This state-of-the-art simulator precisely simulates slope gradients, thus enabling the perfect fit of the ski boot.

ISPO BRANDNEW AWARD
ISPO Munich also provides a stage for the most innovative and creative newcomers in the sports and outdoor industry. Previous ISPO Brandnew winners include pioneering brands from all over the world that have redefined the boundaries of their respective fields with innovative materials, cutting-edge technology and sustainable action. Four start-ups each from the categories “Outdoor & Adventure & Snowsports”, “Performance, Body & Mind (physical product)”, “Sustainability” and “Sports Technology & Platforms” will pitch their ideas live on the main stage. A sneak peek at the innovations on show includes: BreezeLabs, which monitors breathing patterns during exercise; no normal coffee, coffee in a tube; and the AeroGraph Puffer Jacket, a weather-insulating jacket. The winner will be announced in the grand finale on the second day of the fair (4 December 2024).

Source:

Messe München

Graphik University of Copenhagen
22.11.2024

New nanofiber patch for treatment of psoriasis

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a patch for easier and more effective treatment of psoriasis. The method may also be used in treatment of other inflammatory skin diseases.

4-5 per cent of the Danish population has psoriasis, which is one of the most common skin conditions in the world. The inflammatory disease is characterised by a red rash with white scales, which may vary in form, size and severity.

Today, there are several treatment options for psoriasis patients. Creams and ointments are among the most common. The problem is that the cream must be applied several times a day and leaves the skin feeling greasy, and therefore, some patients often fail to use it consistently, which is vital for treatment success.

Now researchers at the University of Copenhagen have produced a prototype for a patch that may help solve this problem for patients with smaller demarcated areas of plaque psoriasis.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a patch for easier and more effective treatment of psoriasis. The method may also be used in treatment of other inflammatory skin diseases.

4-5 per cent of the Danish population has psoriasis, which is one of the most common skin conditions in the world. The inflammatory disease is characterised by a red rash with white scales, which may vary in form, size and severity.

Today, there are several treatment options for psoriasis patients. Creams and ointments are among the most common. The problem is that the cream must be applied several times a day and leaves the skin feeling greasy, and therefore, some patients often fail to use it consistently, which is vital for treatment success.

Now researchers at the University of Copenhagen have produced a prototype for a patch that may help solve this problem for patients with smaller demarcated areas of plaque psoriasis.

“We have developed a dry patch, which contains active ingredients for treatment of psoriasis, and which reduces the frequency of use to once a day. It has the potential to make treatment more comfortable for plaque psoriasis patients,” says Associate Professor Andrea Heinz from the Department of Pharmacy, who is the corresponding author on a series of articles exploring the patch’s ability to treat plaque psoriasis.

One patch serving several functions
The patch is designed to contain two active ingredients at once and release them onto the skin at different rates.

“It is really clever, because treatment of psoriasis often requires more than one product. The two ingredients are released in a controlled manner and at different rates, as they serve different functions: Salicylic acid is released immediately to remove the dead cells that have accumulated on the skin, while hydrocortisone decreases inflammation of the skin – a process that takes more time,” says first author of the studies Anna-Lena Gürtler and adds:

“We have tested the prototype on pig skin and human skin cells and compared the results to the creams and ointments available at pharmacies, and our studies show that the patch is just as effective as standard treatments.”

Potential to treat other conditions
The researchers used electrospinning to produce the patch – a method where high voltage is applied to a polymer solution to produce synthetic nanofibers. The fibres are then used to make a fibre mat that may be attached to the skin like a plaster.

The researchers are still working on the patch. More research, product development and clinical trials are needed before the method is ready for use. According to Andrea Heinz, though, it has great potential that extends beyond psoriasis treatment:

“A patch containing active ingredients may be an alternative to creams and ointments in the treatment of other inflammatory skin diseases, for instance atopic eczema. It may also be useful in connection with wound healing.”

More information:
psoriasis patch Elektrospinning
Source:

William Brøns Petersen, University of Copernhagen